zlacker

>>fnbr+(OP)
So part of their compensation for working is equity, and when they leave thay have to sign an additional agreement in order to keep their previously earned compensation? How is this legal? Mine as well tell them they have to give all their money back too.

What's the consideration for this contract?

>>Button+7J
In the past a lot of options would expire if you didn’t exercise them within eg. 90 days of leaving. And exercising could be really expensive.

Speculation: maybe the options they earn when they work there have some provision like this. In return for the NDA the options get extended.

>>fshbbd+iL
Options aren't vested equity though.

>>NewJaz+JN
... They definitely can be. When I worked for a small biotech company all of my options had a tiered vesting schedule.

>>PNewli+sO
Options aren't equity, they're only the option to buy equity at a specified price. Vesting just means you can actually buy the shares at the set strike pice.

For example, you may join a company and be given options to buy 10,000 shares at $5 each with a 2 year vesting schedule. They may begin vesting immediately, meaning you can buy 1/24th of the total options each month (or 614 shares). Its also common for a delay up front where no options vest until you've been with the company for say 6 or 12 months.

Until an option vests you don't own anything. Once it vests, you still have to buy the shares by exercising the option at the $5 per share price. When you leave, most companies have a deadline on the scale of a few months where you have to either buy all vested shares or forfeit them and lose the stock options.

>>_heimd+JP
> buy all vested shares

The last time I did this I didn't have to buy all of the shares.

>>teaear+bS
I think they mean that you had to buy all the ones you wanted to keep.

>>lazyas+0U
That is tautological... You buy what you want to own???

>>ergoco+7Y
There can be an advantage to not exercising: it causes a taxable event the IRS will want a cut of the difference between your exercise value and the current valuation, it requires you to commit real money to buy shares that may never be worth anything ....

And there are advantages to exercising: many (most?) companies take back unexercised shares a few weeks/months after you leave, it kicks in a CGT start date, so you can end up paying a lower CGT tax when you eventually sell

You need to understand all this stuff before you make a choice that's right for you